The connection the Algarve community has with the sea is undeniable. From the Portuguese Discoveries, from the search for fish for family survival to the enjoyment of water sports, we always consider the sea an essential part of our lives. (more…)
It is often said that “the lota (fish auction market) is ringing” when the siren sounds to start the sale of fish. It is 7:00 am when the auction begins, but from 6:30 a.m. the doors of the Doca Pesca (Fishing Dock) are open to receive the fish caught...
The lights and Christmas decorations, which can be seen all over the place, remind us daily that we are getting close to the day we will gather our family around the table to celebrate Christmas. (more…)
The fresh fish and tomato flavours present in the Algarve’s gastronomy during the summer also accompany typical dishes on winter days. These are combined with seasonal ingredients to become delicious comfort meals – “stewpan foods,” as they are called, which warm our soul and our palate during the shortest...
Today we are talking about a traditional game which is already considered a sport – pétanque. This sport federated in Portugal, in 1992, was brought from France by emigrants in the early 1980’s and became an ingenious way to socialize and practice outdoor exercise. (more…)
In times gone by, even when it came to laundry there was an art and dedication. The hands of the washerwomen rubbed the fabrics against the slanted slabs to leave their customers’ clothes immaculate. (more…)
The olive harvest in the Algarve begins after the first autumn showers. In the south of Portugal, the “maçanilha” variety is the one most used to crush because it is already big, fleshy and practically mature, at the end of September, beginning of October. (more…)
The ancient saying from the North of Portugal, the motto of this article, honours linen as a symbol of family wealth, a heritage transmitted from parents to children. (more…)
Autumn marks the beginning of the grape harvest in Portugal, the perfect time to discover a little more about the wine-making process, the “nectar of the gods”. (more…)
Algarvian sweets incorporate the Arabic heritage and the influence of the confectionery created by Portuguese monks and nuns (18th century), adapted to the local ingredients, which, in the Algarve, means mostly sweets made with figs and almonds. This set of ingredients and knowledge “has resulted in a heritage of Algarvian sweets...
lthough we live by the sea, the Algarve region is rich in customs related to land and agriculture. Now it’s time for the peanut harvest, and Mar d’Estórias is focused on the whole process associated with the cultivation of the “alcagoita” as it is called here. (more…)
Between the beach and the train line that takes us to Lagos, there is a community of tough people who worked and survived to claim their space – the Bairro 25 de Abril, better known as the “Indians of Meia Praia” community. (more…)
To absorb the knowledge of our people and to understand the life they lived, helps us to identify with our culture. This heritage rooted in clothing, music and choreography led Mar d’Estórias to contact Luís Morgado, President of the Folk Dance Group of Odiáxere (Rancho Folclórico e Etnográfico de Odiáxere),...
The strong sense of belonging that Mar d’Estórias has for Costa Vicentina is shared, lived and captured by the photographer João Mariano who, for several years, has dedicated his work to capture the cliffs, the fury of the Atlantic, the natures details and customs of this piece of paradise...
Today, Mar d’Estórias present 100ml – a company that creates brands and perfumes that honours the customs of our country. Founded 10 years ago by Luís Miguel Pereira, 100ml values the aromas and essences of the luxury national perfumery. (more…)
Imagination, technique, passion for art and detailed work characterises Liliana Alves’ Jewelry. Her delicate filigree work honours the classic method of the Portuguese jewelry heritage, while at the same time combining new techniques developed by herself. (more…)
It is from May to the end of August, a more active time for the cork growth, that the cork harvesting is done. Cork is a raw material with unique characteristics that, to be extracted, needs great expertise of the cork harvester. (more…)
One of the oldest types of fishing in the Algarve continues to persist on the beach of Meia Praia by the only master of the Xávega art (traditional trawl fishing) who is still licensed in Lagos – José Glória, known as Mestre Zé Bala – the skipper. (more…)
In the plains of the Alentejo, more precisely in the village of Alcáçovas, in Viana do Alentejo, one can still hear the distinct sound of the cattle bells that wander the pastures. (more…)
It’s in the confection details as well as the knowledge acquired from the past generations, that the richness of Portuguese regional gastronomy is based. If there are dishes that identify the Algarvian culinary heritage, the carapaus alimados (horse mackerel Algarve style) is, undoubtedly, one of them. (more…)
We must go back to the end of the World War I (1918) to find, in Porto, the pharmacy that would create the emblematic Pasta Medicinal Couto (Couto Toothpaste). (more…)
Mar d’Estórias is a project that bustles with ideas that are faithful to modernity, but very rooted in heritage. It is by knowing the past of our city that we also discover our history. (more…)
It is in the subtleness of the Portuguese people cultural preservation that Ângela Subtil (subtle) visits the Serra de Aire, more specifically, Minde. It is at the Local Association of Minde that a Portuguese manual loom works the natural wool to make the original patterns of Subtil’s products. (more…)
If the concept of Mar d’Estórias is based on the demand for the quality and tradition of the Portuguese product, then the bet on artisanal beer is an unavoidable one. Craft beer is distinguished from big brands of beer, not only for maintaining the artisan principles but for prizing...
The re-encounter with the traditional food aromas of the Algarve is made with the versatility of the cornmeal. If formerly the xerém was intrinsically associated with the social and economic context of the Portuguese and the working class, today it remains an emblematic dish of the Algarve homemade cuisine....
It is on the stream banks that you can find the necessary material for Mr. José Rosa to create his pieces. Alongside a small stream in Monchique, Mr. José has planted wicker, which grows in the spring, to be able to work in the handmade baskets he makes in his spare time. ...
Today we approach something very Portuguese, a feeling very much our own – Saudade! An untranslated word meaning homesickness but with a more profound sense. The one that the immigrant carries within the luggage whenever he leaves this country, even for a brief period of time. (more…)
We set foot towards the other side of the Algarve, with chef Megan, to realise why there are traditional flavours that are worth keeping. (more…)
The MUD brand – Made Under Design – has been part of the Mar d’Estórias shop since the first day we opened doors. The family business began as a hobby by the hand of Mr João Batista, but it soon became a serious success story! (more…)
If there are stories that are worth telling about, a revolution ruled by songs and flowers is, undoubtedly, one of them. It is a story of oppressed people who reacted and protested against a dictatorial regime that lasted 48 years. (more…)